Trade union and its classifications,types,policies and condition in different...swarna dey
Trade union, also called labour union , association of labourers in a particular trade,industry, or company, created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining. Generally, its membership consists of worlers and union leaders, united to protect and promote their common interests.
In each country, there is a trade union legislation(usually a Trade Union Act) gives a legal definition of a trade union, and sets out its objectives.A labor union of workers in related crafts, as distinguished from general workers or a union including all workers industry.
Trade union, also called labourunion , association of laborers in a particular trade, industry, or company, created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining. (Schumpeter j 2008)
Labor unions or trade unions are organizations formed by workers from related fields that work for the common interest of its members. They help workers in issues like fairness of pay, good working environment, hours of work and benefits. They represent a cluster of workers and provide a link between the management and workers.(Rein chard 1974)
The history of trade union dates back to the guild system that started in Europe, this system aimed to protect selected professions by controlling of advancement and skill mastery. This is how unions came into existence, and is the first example of how numerous workers join together to create their own rules instead of following those set by their employers.
Need for Industrial Relations Industrial Relationsmanumelwin
Need of Industrial Relation has arisen to defend the interest of workers for adjusting the reasonable salary or wages. It also helps the workers to seek perfect working condition for producing maximum output.
Indian labor Market :Consists of 430 million workers in 2004-05, growing 2% annually, with a stable worker-population ratio of 40%.
Lower level of women’s participation in workforce (28%) – perhaps an underestimate.
Low level of open unemployment (3.1%) – high level of disguised unemployment (or under-employment), mostly in rural areas and in agriculture.
Child labour’s share in workforce declining – yet quite large in absolute numbers, at 13 million in 2001.
Trade union and its classifications,types,policies and condition in different...swarna dey
Trade union, also called labour union , association of labourers in a particular trade,industry, or company, created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining. Generally, its membership consists of worlers and union leaders, united to protect and promote their common interests.
In each country, there is a trade union legislation(usually a Trade Union Act) gives a legal definition of a trade union, and sets out its objectives.A labor union of workers in related crafts, as distinguished from general workers or a union including all workers industry.
Trade union, also called labourunion , association of laborers in a particular trade, industry, or company, created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining. (Schumpeter j 2008)
Labor unions or trade unions are organizations formed by workers from related fields that work for the common interest of its members. They help workers in issues like fairness of pay, good working environment, hours of work and benefits. They represent a cluster of workers and provide a link between the management and workers.(Rein chard 1974)
The history of trade union dates back to the guild system that started in Europe, this system aimed to protect selected professions by controlling of advancement and skill mastery. This is how unions came into existence, and is the first example of how numerous workers join together to create their own rules instead of following those set by their employers.
Need for Industrial Relations Industrial Relationsmanumelwin
Need of Industrial Relation has arisen to defend the interest of workers for adjusting the reasonable salary or wages. It also helps the workers to seek perfect working condition for producing maximum output.
Indian labor Market :Consists of 430 million workers in 2004-05, growing 2% annually, with a stable worker-population ratio of 40%.
Lower level of women’s participation in workforce (28%) – perhaps an underestimate.
Low level of open unemployment (3.1%) – high level of disguised unemployment (or under-employment), mostly in rural areas and in agriculture.
Child labour’s share in workforce declining – yet quite large in absolute numbers, at 13 million in 2001.
In this presentation, we will understand the meaning and factors of industrial relations, analyze the three aspects of industrial relations, meaning and functions of trade unions and discuss the influence of trade unios on business and human resource management.
To know more about Welingkar School’s Distance Learning Program and courses offered, visit:
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The purpose of this report is to evaluate Nestle Company industry based on the case study and comprehends how the company develops marketing strategic intent for their business organizations following the Marketing strategy of external and internal business environments. I will analyze the Marketing strategy management process as firm used to achieve Marketing strategic competitiveness and earn above-average returns. I will discuss the Marketing strategy formulation that includes business-level strategy and corporate-level strategy
This is a comparative study between two international business - Honda and Harley - Davidson Motorcycle Company adapted from the text book: Bed, K. (2006). Quality Management. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Industrial relations are the relationship between management and employees or among employees and their organization. Industrial relation deal with either the relationships between the state and the employers and the workers organization or the relation between the occupational organizations themselves. The ILO uses the expression to denote such matters as freedom of association and the protection of the right to organize, the application of the principles of the right to organize, and the right of collective bargaining, collective agreements, conciliation and arbitration and machinery for cooperation between the authorities and the occupational organizations at various levels of the economy.
The term Industrial Relations refers to relationship between Management and Labor or among Employees and their organizations that characterize or grow out of employment. Theoretically speaking, there are two parties in the employment relationship labor and management. Both parties need to work in a spirit of cooperation, adjustment and accommodation. In their own mutual interest certain rules for co-existence are formed and adhered to. Over the years, the State has also come to play a major role in Industrial Relations one, as and initiator of policies and the other, as an employer by setting up an extremely large public sector.
Attitudes to employment lawand the consequent impactof l.docxikirkton
Attitudes to employment law
and the consequent impact
of legislation on employment
relations practice
Deirdre Curran and Mary Quinn
National University of Business and Economics, Galway, Ireland
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes to employment law and the consequent
impact of legislation on Irish employment relations practice.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a comparative approach using two separate
pieces of employment law governing race equality, and employee information and consultation,
respectively. Semi-structured interviews with key informants are the main data source, augmented
in the case of the information and consultation legislation by focus groups in individual workplaces.
Findings – The empirical evidence presented suggests that legislation is not the primary initiator
of change. In the case of race equality the market was found to be a key determinant of practice
(termed “market-prompted voluntarism”). However, it is argued that regulation can influence change in
organisations, depending on the complex dynamic between a number of contingencies, including the
aspect of employment being regulated, the presence of supportive institutions, and organisation-
specific variables.
Practical implications – The comparative findings in this research allow some important inferences
to be made regarding the use of law to mandate change in employment relations practice. They, in
turn, provide useful lessons for future policy makers, managers, trade unionists and workers.
Originality/value – This paper is unique in its comparison of two separate pieces of legislation.
In both cases considered, the legislation was prompted by EU Directives, and the obligation on
member states to transpose these Directives into national law. The findings suggest that readiness for
legislation, based on length of national debate and acceptance of the underlying concept, can influence
its impact. The concept of equality seems to have gained widespread acceptance since the debate
provoked by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, understanding and
acceptance of the concept of employee voice has been much less pronounced in the Anglo-Saxon world.
Keywords Ireland, European Union, Legislation, Labour law, Social policy, Employment law,
Employment relations, Race equality, Information and consultation
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes to regulation and the consequent
impact on employment relations practice. The paper draws on detailed analysis of
two pieces of Irish legislation, relating to Oireachtas na hEireann, employment equality
and information and consultation (hereafter I&C), respectively.
The empirical evidence presented suggests that the nature of the issue, in terms
of its broader societal acceptance, is important in determining the degree of impact of
legislation providing for it. Consistent with previous research, however, empl ...
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
2. Does business still need government in an era of globalisatio.docxeugeniadean34240
2. Does business still need government in an era of globalisation?
Globalisation has forever changed the way in which businesses deal with their suppliers, employees, customers and governments. Globalisation refers to the process of increasing integration and interdependence among economies, societies and cultures on a global level (Bova 2010, p212). Debate has, and will continue to centre within both the business and politics fields about the extent to which business needs regulating by governments in order to achieve economic prosperity for the firm and society as a whole. This debate has further intensified as globalisation has created further question marks within government-business relations as economies become increasingly interdependent, competitive and inclusive (Eccleston 2010, p73). This essay will argue that governments need to relinquish aspects of their control and influence over business in order to fully capitalise on the positive effects of globalisation, however there is still a modest role for governments regulation on business.
To verify this thesis effectively, this essay will analyse the reasons why government interference on business can be harmful whilst also presenting facts that support some government regulations. Arguments opposing government interference on business include the devastating impacts of government laid trade barriers on economies. In addition, government regulations are fast becoming irrelevant given the growth of globalisation and multinational corporations (MNC’s). Finally, the benefits of limited government regulation through capitalism and trade liberalisation are evident using examples of recently decentralised economies such as China. The requirements for government regulation in the era of globalisation to be maintained however include the needs for government-imposed laws to restrict unsafe work practices and imports, and ensure firms take responsibility for the environmental implications of their activities. Additionally the need for government regulation in the economy in the era of globalisation is unquestionable following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC).
Governments must abandon many regulations and controls on business in order to achieve heightened economic prosperity in the era of globalisation. Supporters of this argument and a laissez faire economy come from the right of the political spectrum; such as conservatives, neo-liberalists, individualists, fascists and theorists like Friedman, Reagan and Thatcher (Allen 2010). Laissez faire is the term given to an economy that is driven by free market forces, free from any significant government intervention (Heywood 2007, p189). The first testimony for reduced government influence over business in the era of globalisation is the negative effects almost all government backed trade barriers have had on domestic consumers, firms and trading partners. This situation has been evident for a number of years within Australia, where t.
There is general agreement over the need to pay attention to the informal sector because of its importance to employment and poverty issues. There are also an increasing number of programmes aimed at supporting similar informal activities in highly diverse national contexts.
This consensus is backed through the adoption, at the highest level, of policy measures that are meeting with growing acceptance and, sometimes, the active support of social actors, in particular among entrepreneurial and trade union organizations. Such a stand is also based on evidence to the effect that policies to promote the informal sector are viable and profitable, even during economic downswings, and have international financial support. Nevertheless, to the extent that it fails to embrace a shared strategic vision, this is a limited consensus that hinders the eff ectiveness of policies implemented in this area.
While often adequate on an individual basis, they are insufficient and produce limited effects by failing to respond to a more comprehensive approach. The lack of a shared approach is related to the absence of a common definition of the informal sec-tor, which has grown increasingly complex since it was first described in a pioneering ILO report on Kenya in 1972.
Along with the heterogeneous nature of informal economic activities, different perceptions lead to different strategies. These are reviewed in the first section. Too great an emphasis on the regulatory perspective has identified informality with illegality and labour precariousness.
In spite of their ties to informality, however, the two categories are conceptually different. Th e second section is devoted to these subjects and, particularly, to the precariousness of the employment relationship. Lastly, the third section explores strategic options to regulate the informal sector, tracing the features of a different approach to formalizing informal activities, to facilitate their full integration in the modernization process.
For the purpose of this paper, the latter concept is defined as the most dynamic part of the economy operating under a common regulatory framework. Facts and concepts Interpretations and trends The notion of the informal sector was brought forward in a 1972 ILO report on Kenya (ILO, 1972), follow-ing a 1971 paper (Hart, 1973). They highlighted that the problem of employment in less-developed countries is not one of unemployment but rather of employed workers who do not earn enough money to make a living.
They are ‘working poor’. Th is conceptual interpretation was based on their opposition to formality and their lack of access to the market and productive resources. Th is was followed by several contributions (see Tokman, 1978).
Industrialization
Jessica Gonzalez
Dr. Reeves
HIS 105
Industrialization
Introduction
Industrialization after the Civil War was a noteworthy segment in making the propelled world we live in today. The modern transformation associated America through transportation, prompting to less demanding correspondence. It moved how the procedure of business approached permitting profitability to soar. Industrialization changed how the normal individual carried on with their existence with their family and how they earned cash to accommodate that family. Political control was superseded by the well off. It moved the larger part of laborers from agrarian positions to modern ones. At last, it urbanized American culture, with the goal that we could in the long run turn into a super force of a country.
Discuss three (3) major aspects of industrialization between 1865 and 1920. In your response, consider society, the economy, and politics.
One of the major aspects of industrialization between 1865 and 1920 is that the business and industrialization focused mostly on the urban communities. There was the regular expansion of the number of the plants which extraordinarily increased the demand for labor. As a result of this, individuals were prompted to move from the rural areas to the cities so that they can secure job opportunities. In addition to this, more settlers from Europe were attracted to the United States. As a result of the increased mechanization and the rural urban migration, the United States reformed from an agrarian society to an urban country which thereby led to the drastically changed in the socioeconomics of the nation.
The other aspect of industrialization between 1865 and 1920 is the free enterprise financial matters. This assisted the nation to industrialize at a great extent in that the supporters of the Laissez-faire system came in with the proposition that the economy should not be interfered with but it should be allowed to operate freely as a result of the forces of the demand and the supply. According to the supporters of the Laissez-faire system, the government or the administration should not meddle with the affairs of the economy and it should instead aim at securing the property rights and concentrate on the creation of a conducive environment for the economy to thrive in well (Rees, 2015).
The third aspect of industrialization between 1865 and 1920 is the development of the numerous innovative progressions. In this, industrialization assisted in the development of better means of transport which were faster, more secure, had a large capacity and they were also simpler to use and manage than the previously used means of transport. In addition to this, industrialization led to the development of the machines. These machines greatly assisted the laborers who used to make everything by their hands in that they could now use the newly made machines which greatly aided in increasing their speed, efficiency and also their l.
2. Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................1
Key features and processes of ER/IR system of the three countries .........................4
Structures and roles and relationship .........................................................................6
Role of Trade Unions in each country .......................................................................7
The role of the State in each country .........................................................................8
The role of Employers Association............................................................................9
Labour market philosophies .....................................................................................10
Labour legislations or Laws .....................................................................................11
Legal framework (collective or individual) .............................................................13
Recent Trends/ Changes ..........................................................................................14
Conclusion ...............................................................................................................15
3. Introduction
Employment Relations can be defined as the study of the rules and rule – making processes that
regulate the employment relations (Bray, Waring, & Cooper, 2009). It was further noted by
(Bray, Waring, & Cooper, 2009) that at the core of Employment relations, are different views
about the most effective way to manage the relationship between an organization and its
representatives, the managers, and employees and their representatives. This is evident, as
(Devereaux & Moore, 1995) defined employment relationship as the “set of all relations and
supporting institutions between employees and employers (Flanagan et al., 1989)”. This is all
summed up by(Sagoa, 2013) who noted that;Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary field that
studies the employment relationship and it explores the relationship between employers and
employees, employers and trade unions, their relationship with the state and other stakeholders,
with industrial relations being increasingly called employment relations because of the
importance or significance of non- industrial or employment relationships.
Historically, the British system was heavily indebted in the Australian system. According to
(Sagoa, 2013) , the British system of employment was a collective bargaining one which was
adversarial as supposed to consensual by nature, with the system encompassed a well -
developed trade union movement which was primarily craft as opposed to industry based union.
This system was significant in terms of the development of other employment relations systems,
such as Australia. Since the 1960s, „tradition voluntarism‟ has been weakened by the increasing
legislative intervention of the state, particularly since the election of the Conservative Party in
19701.
It was further noted by (EIROnline, 2009) that; the system of industrial relations in the United
Kingdom (UK) is traditionally characterized by voluntary relations between the social partners,
with a minimal level of interference from the state. In the context of very early industrialization
and a liberal political culture in which the state seldom intervened in the affairs of private actors,
1
Sagoa, I. (2013, January 4). Industrial or Employment Relations in the United States; Industrial or Employment Relations in Great
Britain. HRM 603: Comparative Studies in Industrial or Employment Relations. Suva, Nasinu, Fiji: Fiji National University Nasinu
Campus.
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4. trade unions gradually consolidated their membership and power base throughout the 19th
century. Various legislative developments also allowed trade unions the right to organize
workers and engage in industrial action. The economic context throughout this time was also
favorable to the development of trade unionism. Owing to the pace of industrialization and the
existence of substantial colonial markets for UK industry, the 19th century and early 20th
century were characterized by extensive economic growth. This economic climate facilitated the
development of a system in which some of the fruits of economic development could be
designated for collectively bargained wage increases. In terms of the role of the law, collective
bargaining was far more important than the influence of legal regulation. For employers and
trade unions, the role of statute law was to support and extend collective bargaining rather than
to comprehensively regulate the system. Notably, the law provided trade unions with a series of
„immunities‟ from UK common law.
Historically, Australia‟s employment relations system can be traced back to the period of the
Second World War when manpower shortages and the demands of the war effort required the
smooth assimilation of a large number of women into the workforce, many in very non –
traditional roles (Cochrane, 1985)2. Politically, the Australian system is heavily indebted to the
British system. According to (Shelton, 1995), “recent changes in the international economic
standing of Australia have created an „economic crisis‟ mentality, that is having a last impact on
business and politics in this country, as the government in the late 1980s, recognized the
importance of human resource management in its effort to restructure industry and promote a
more productive business environment”.
Economically,(Shelton, 1995) noted that, the international economy has changed in recent times
especially since the 1980s; the Australian governments have changed their strategies on how the
domestic economy should respond to international developments. Australian economic
development has always been strongly affected by its place in the international political
economy.
2
Shelton, D. (1995). Human Resources in Australia. In L. F. Moore, & J. P. Devereaux, Human Resource Management on the Pacific Rim:
Institutions, Practices, & Attitudes (pp. 31-35). New York: Walter de Gruyter.
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5. (Shelton, 1995) further noted that the “Australian economy during the nineteenth century, was
very open to international force, however, their economy remains highly dependent on its mining
and agriculture industries, despite these industries employing a mere 5% of the total workforce,
and has generally experienced strong economic growth from the 1980s to 2007, with the
exception of a sharp downturn in 1990 – 91”.
When compared to the background of Australia, United States of America, human resource
management according to (Devereaux & Moore, 1995), “is at the turn of this century appears to
be in a state of transition, whether viewed by human resource specialists or industrial relations
theorists”. This is supported by (Sagoa, 2013) , who noted thatthe persistence of economic
pressure that first challenged American industry in the 1970s continues to reshape US industrial
relations, with an effort to maintain their competitiveness, US firms have developed panoply of
strategies ranging from confrontation and labor control to collaboration and employee
empowerment. Furthermore, globalization of markets, rapid technological changes, shorter
product – life cycles and shifts in consumer preferences have increased the pressures on US
firms.
According to (Devereaux & Moore, 1995), the “modern employment relationship in the US
began in the mid – 1800s with the advent of the mechanized factory, which required the
availability of more unskilled and skilled labor on a longer term, reliable basis (Chandler, 1962;
Dobbin, 1992; Jacoby, 1985)”.
(Schneider & Stepp, 2006)noted that “employee involvement was first promoted in the late
1960s and 1970s as an antidote to growing disaffection with the industrial workplace”.
Moreover, (Kaufman, 2006) added that, “…..after the field‟s early ideas were adopted as public
policy and workers secured some protections at work – through laws and unions-difficulties and
differences emerged”.
Therefore, this assignment will compare and contrasts the main features of
Employment/Industrial relations between Great Britain, US and Australia, with usage of
examples.
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6. Key features and processes of ER/IR system of the three countries
According to (Sagoa, 2013), the key features of the system in Britain are;the influence of the
Conservative Government since 1970 on the pattern of employment relations in Britain, the
effect which political climate has on Trade union density, the decline in collective bargaining
and the change in the level at which the such bargaining is occurring, the extent to which Human
Resource Management policies are being pursued by British Management, the view of authors/
scholars with regards to the transformation of British employment relations and the influence of
European Union and the effect of change in government on the future direction of employment
relations.
Furthermore, (Sagoa, 2013) noted that the key features in the United States Industrial Relations
systems. He noted that there is a “three- tier structure of industrial relations in the United States
which are economy, sectoral, and company/establishment bargaining, and local unions deal with
the daily interaction with employers at the workplace”. However, (Sagoa, 2013) further noted
that “……there has been a change in the shared ideology among the three players (employers,
trade union and government) since the 1980, with the employment having moved from
manufacturing jobs and other jobs that have traditionally been represented by unions to more
service and high technology jobs, and employers have learned that using positive human
resource management practices. Finally, in the past several the governments has increasingly
provided for the protection of workers‟ rights by passing a variety of legislative actions”.
Moreover, the Australian key features of the system in Australia are, according to (Sagoa, 2013),
the Australian employment relations have moved from centralized to decentralized regulation of
work, from awards and collectively negotiated agreements to individual contracts of
employment, from full-time, permanent and continuing jobs to contingent forms of work and
from a pluralist system of employment relations to a unitarist approach in which collective forms
of worker representation are diminished.
Therefore, when comparing the key features of each of the countries, the similar key features, are
the significant legislative, structural changes, with declines in union density and power, increase
in non – standard forms of employment. However, Great Britain and United States both have a
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7. centralised system of industrial relations, whereas Australia, is trying to move away from a
centralised system to a decentralised system.
According to (Sagoa, 2013), the voluntary system characterized by the British industrial relations
system for most of the 20th century, at its heart was a policy of relative legal abstention, with
primacy to – and support for –regulation through collective bargaining, as the regulation of
employment relationship by means of collective bargaining between employers and unions
(including multi – employer level) was far more important than legal regulation through Acts of
Parliament, where statutory law intervened, it did so to support and extend the collective
bargaining and to plug gaps, its coverage and protection.
However, the coverage of collective bargaining in Great Britain has shrunk, as union
membership and density, particularly in the private sector (Sagoa, 2013). This was further
supported by(EIROnline, 2009) who noted that, “collective bargaining has become far more
decentralised since the 1970s and 1980s”. But when compared to Australia, according to
(Shelton, 1995), “The view of union movement is that Australian Workplace Agreement
(AWAs), are an attempt to undermine the collective bargaining power of trade unions in the
negotiation of pay and conditions of their members”. Whereas, in the United States, according to
(Sagoa, 2013), collective bargaining effectively sets and regulates the broad, middle tier of the
wage distribution and employment conditions.
Therefore, it can further be said that collective bargaining is used by all the three countries as a
means to settle disputes in workplaces, and the outcome of the negotiations both are benefited by
the employers and its workers.
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8. Structures and roles and relationship
The structure of employment has changed radically in recent years (Sagoa, 2013). This statement
is true as over the years, the countries, Australia, Great Britain and United States developed
economically, with the increase in supply and demand for labor. According to (Sagoa, 2013)
Australia‟s structure of employment changed radically, that is, there is a decline in full – time
permanent employment, with the expansion of various forms of non – standard employment
(such as casual work, temporary jobs, outsourcing and use of agencies and other labor market
intermediaries). (Moriguchi, 2000)noted that, in the U.S. employment system, explicit and
elaborate employment contracts in large manufacturingfirms were reinforced by the well-
developed legal enforcement mechanism providedby the state; at the same time, as more firms in
the economy relied on explicit contracts, the state‟s return from providing a legal system to
enforce such contracts became higher.
(Huebsch, 2013)added that in the United States of America; the history of the labor-management
relationship started in the mid-1860s with the Industrial Revolution. Mass migration of workers
from rural to urban areas led to a surplus of labor, and tough competition between factories. In
general, few laws existed to protect workers, and employers focused on cutting costs rather than
the care of their personnel. Companies often fired workers for taking part in union activities. The
first national union, the Knights of Labor, dominatedlabor-management relations by organizing
political actions and conducting arbitration with companies on behalf of workers.
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9. Role of Trade Unions in each country
The role of trade unions has changed significantly over the past thirty years (Wright, 2011).
Trade unions have a number of functions, some of which have been more prominent than others
at different periods in history, but, over the course of time trade unions have developed five
principal functions (Ewing, 2004). (Ewing, 2004)further noted that “the five developed principal
functions are a service function; a representation function; a regulatory function; a government
function; and a public administration function”. According to (WikiAnswers, 2013), there are
nine main functions of a trade union which are;collective bargaining with the management to
settle terms and conditions of employment, advise the management on personnel policies and
practices, taking up the individual and collective grievances of the workers with the
management, work for achieving better say of workers in the management of affairs of the
enterprise which influence the lives of the workers directly, organising demonstrations, strikes,
etc, to press demands of workers, education of workers and their children, welfare and
recreational activities of their members, representing of workers in various national and
international forums, and securing legislative protection for workers from the government.
The main service a union provides for its members is negotiation and representation. According
to (Margetts, 1998), most „collective bargaining‟ takes place quietly and agreements are quickly
reached by the union and the employer. The establishment of conciliation and arbitration systems
encouraged the rapid growth of Australian unions and, to a lesser extent, employer
association(Sagoa, 2013). According to (Shelton, 1995), in Australia, unions may acquire the
status of a legal entity (known as collective bargaining) over wages, working hours and other
terms and conditions of employment. In Great Britain, it has been noted by (EIROnline, 2009),
“……trade unions in different companies and sectors often share information with one
another…”
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10. The role of the State in each country
According to (Devereaux & Moore, 1995), the role of the state has become more important than
the labour may having to lose power to management. Overall, the role of the state is to establish
laws such as Safety regulations and to also provide financial aid to businesses, that contribute to
the economy of a country, in order to keep the economy afloat(Rollinson, n.d.).
Until the 1950s there was probably no other industrialised country in the world where the State
was less interventionist in terms of its employment relations laws than Britain (Rollinson, n.d.).
However, the pace of State intervention has accelerated significantly since the end of the Second
World War, first during the 1960s and 1970s and then again in the 1980s; further interventions
by the State during the new millennium have altered the employment relations landscape in
Britain even more(Rollinson, n.d.). As a result, it is now probably fair to say that individual
employment laws, rather than voluntary collective bargaining agreements, regulate working
conditions in Britain (Ewing, 2003), which has had a huge impact on the behaviour of managers,
trade unions and employees(Rollinson, n.d.).
Overall, it can be summarised as, according to (Sagoa, 2013), the key roles of the state in the
industrial relations or employment relations context are; provision of institutional framework
where the general aim of the state is to provide for the bilateral relationship between the
worker/trade unions and employers/their representatives, provision for collective bargaining
where the state provides the general alternative mechanism for settling general terms
employment by non-political means, limiting or avoiding industrial conflicts where in all
developed nations, the state tries to avoid or limit collective industrial conflicts, and
interpretation of conflict of right and interest where clear distinction is and collective conflict of
interest which are solved peacefully between the parties.
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11. The role of Employers Association
(Sagoa, 2013)noted that for the role of employer‟s association are to provide advice, support and
training to members on industrial relations, and a wide range of employment or work related
matters.An employers association could also be described as (EIROnline, 2009) noted, as a
counterpart to a trade union in that it organises employers and represents them in collective
bargaining, offers them specialist advice and services and represents them before certain bodies
such as the Employment Appeals Tribunal of the Labour Court.
For Australia, most employers Association were vocally supportive of Work Choices legislation,
with some bodies even funding pro- Work media advertisement(Sagoa, 2013). Whereas in Great
Britain, the role of the employers‟ association according to (EIROnline, 2009), is for the
purposes of negotiation with trade unions or to provide affiliated employers with industrial
relations advice and assistance.
Therefore, overall, the employers‟ association roles in each country are slightly similar, as they
negotiate industry –wide, multi-employer collective agreements with trade unions (EIROnline,
2009).
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12. Labour market philosophies
According to (Bray, Waring, & Cooper, 2009); the public policy relevance of employment
relations in Australia is long – running and unidentifiable – the controversy over the introduction
and operation of the 2005 WorkChoices legislation is only the most recent example of
employment relation contributing a defining issue on which governments and oppositions differ
and on which governments rise and fall.
Unemployment rate are one of the factors that contribute to the rise and fall of the government.
According to (Fontes & Fedec, 2013),unemployment Rate in the United States decreased to 7.60
percent in March of 2013 from 7.70 percent in February of 2013 as reported by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Historically, from 1948 until 2013, the United States Unemployment Rate
averaged 5.81 Percent reaching an all-time high of 10.80 Percent in November of 1982 and a
record low of 2.50 Percent in May of 1953. In the United States, the unemployment rate
measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
When compared to United States, Australia had the unemployment rate which remained
unchanged at 5.4 percent and had been on the upward trend since reaching 4.9 percent in June of
2012 (Fontes & Fedec, 2013), whereas as also added by (Fontes & Fedec, 2013), Great Britain
had the unemployment rate that is at 7.8 percent up from a year low of 7.7 percent. Therefore,
Great Britain and United states had approximately the same percent of 7.7 percent
unemployment rate.
America had the polarization of the business community and organized labour over the basic
provisions of American labour law has accompanied and contributed to the decline in trade union
membership.
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13. Labour legislations or Laws
Studying notes written by (Sagoa, 2013), it is evident that in the country Australia has a
federation where it is a system of government with a central federal government and six regional
governments, where the role of the state is to only making laws in relation to industrial relations.
However, in 2005, the Howard Liberal government, according to (Sagoa, 2013), amendments
made to the Work Relations Act 1996 were to remove the state control of industrial relations.
According to (Sagoa, 2013), a period of Conservative Government from the year1979 to 1997
under Mrs. Thatcher and then Mr. Major saw a radical break with voluntarist tradition of British
industrial relations, but the post 1997 Labour government had taken a different approach to that
of its predecessors regarding the role of legislation in regulating employment relations. However,
the voluntary system characterized by British industrial relations for most of the 20th century,
where at the heart of the policy of relative legal abstention was the regulation through collective
bargaining. Furthermore, in the post 1997 legislative agenda, according to (Sagoa, 2013), the
National Minimum Wages (NMW) was introduced in April 1999 and legislation which regulates
work time and leave from 1998 with, legislation on Trade Union recognition procedure being
effective from the year 2000.
According to (WikiAnswers, 2013), United States labor law is the body of law that mediates the
rights and duties of workers, employers and labor unions in the United States of America.
Federal laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act and the
Occupational Safety and Health Act set the standards that govern workers' rights to organize in
the private sector, and override most state and local laws. Usually more limited rights for
employees of the federal government, but not state or local governments, where workers derive
their rights from state law(WikiAnswers, 2013).The pattern is even more mixed in the area of
wages and working conditions. Federal law establishes minimum wages and overtime rights for
most workers in the private and public sectors; state and local laws may provide more expansive
rights. Similarly, federal law provides minimum workplace safety standards, but allows the states
to take over those responsibilities and to provide more stringent standards.
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14. Finally, both federal and state laws protect workers from employment discrimination. In most
areas these two bodies of law overlap; as an example, federal law permits states to enact their
own statutes barring discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin and age,
so long as the state law does not provide less protections than federal law would. Federal law, on
the other hand, preempts most state statutes that would bar employers from discriminating
against employees to prevent them from obtaining pensions or other benefits or retaliating
against them for asserting those rights(WikiAnswers, 2013).
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15. Legal framework (collective or individual)
For Great Britain, since the employment tribunal was set up in the year 1964, individual statutory
employment rights were enforceable via Employment Tribunal, however, there is no provision
for class action against one employer (Sagoa, 2013). However, since 1979, there has been no
thorough exploration of how employment disputes might be best dealt with, but the system
favors individuals to enforce their rights where focus is advocated less on providing individual
redress for breaches of rights, more about providing the kind of workplace where breaches is less
likely to occur(Sagoa, 2013).
However, Australia hadchanges that were introduced in 1993 by the Keating Labor government
in the form of the Industrial Relations Reform Act 1993, allowed federal non-union collective
agreements to be certified for the first time with incorporated a limited right to protected
industrial action during a designated bargaining period(Sagoa, 2013).
America has a collective framework of industrial relations(EIROnline, 2009), where the federal
and state laws provide legislations to govern labor relations (WikiAnswers, 2013).
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16. Recent Trends/ Changes
The most critical changes revolve around the role of the government actions in the workplace
(Devereaux & Moore, 1995). For the country United States some major changes faced are,
according to (Devereaux & Moore, 1995), “managers revolve around the characteristics of
workers, with more women joining the workforce, as well as minorities, causing adjustments in
the traditional expectations”. In addition, (Devereaux & Moore, 1995), further noted that due to
the demographic changes in the profile of workers is the lack of workers with requisite skills and
productivity, compared to workers in industrialized countries. Moreover, in United States the
role of the government was to establish rules for an orderly process in which workers would
duly: elect individuals to represent them in a collective negotiation with employers, over wages,
hours, and working conditions, finally, the extensive degree of experimentation with employee
participation, work organization, and human resource practices in both union and non union
setting has further tested traditional patterns, but these conflicts and experiments have occurred
primarily in the private sector, with government sitting on the sidelines as a seemingly
uninterested observer (Sagoa, 2013). However, according to (Sagoa, 2013), during Clinton‟s
administration, the labour market and workplace policies were put back on the national agenda
For the Australian employment relations system, (Sagoa, 2013) noted that some changes are;
previously the regulation of work and employment are that a long tradition of centralized
regulation of wages and conditions through awards and agreements in the Australia Industrial
Relations Commission, at both the industry and national level. However, over the past decades,
the reduction in the scope of the Commission‟s jurisdiction to conciliate and arbitrate award
matters with encouragement of individualized agreements between workers and employers at the
enterprise level. Added to this changes is that, previously, predominantly permanent, full-time
forms of employment with hours regulated by awards and collective agreements, however, over
the past decades, almost half of the workforce now employed in jobs which are casual, part-time
and/or fixed contract.
When compared to Australia and United States, for Great Britain, (Sagoa, 2013), highlighted that
some of its changes are, the retreat from collective bargaining, voice, high involvement of
Human Resource Management (HRM), contingent pay, upheaval in the public sector and legal
regulation.
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17. Conclusion
The purpose of this assignment was to explore the origins of the distinctive employment systems
that emerged in the U.S. Australia and Great Britain, and to develop a theory which provides
aconsistent explanation for the institutional developments for both countries since the
beginningof this century. The main findings and interpretations provided by the comparative
historical analysis can be summarized as follows.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, in spite of the underlying differences between the
three countries‟ cultural traditions, political regimes, and the stages of industrialization,
employmentrelations in large American, Australian and Great Britain manufacturing firms were
similar in the followingaspects. Employment contracts were simple, short-term, and
individualized, and “employmentat-will” was a prevailing principle in both societies. There were
highly competitive labor marketsin which wages were determined by general skills and
experience. Production workers, skilledor unskilled, frequently moved among factories seeking
higher wages and better working conditions, implicit, long-term employment contracts and
company-wide unions under a new legal framework,with some important modifications. In
particular, blue-collar workers achieved a highereconomic and social status within firms during
the process of democratization(Wright, 2011).
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18. References
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Institutions, Practices, and Attitudes (pp. 319-340). New York: Walter de Gruyter.
EIROnline. (2009, October 26). United Kingdom: Industrial relations profile. Retrieved April
3, 2013, from Eurofound:
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/country/united.kingdom_2.htm
Ewing, K. D. (2004). The Function of Trade Unions. Industrial Law Journal, 34(1), 1 -22.
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Kaufman, B. E. (2006). The Global Evolution of Industrial Relations: Events, Ideas, and the
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Margetts, S. (1998). Trade Unions. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from revisionguru:
http://www.revisionguru.co.uk/business/unions.htm
Moriguchi, C. (2000, October). The Evolution of Employment Relations in U.S. And Japanese
Manufacturing Firms, 1900 -1960: A Comparative Historical And Instituional
Analysis. Cambridge.
Powers, J. (2013). The Role of the Trade Union Representatives. United States of America.
Rollinson, D. (n.d.). Chapter 6: The role of the state in employment relations. McGraw Hill.
Sagoa, I. (2013, January 4). Industrial or Employment Relations in the United States;
Industrial or Employment Relations in Great Britain. HRM 603: Comparative Studies
in Industrial or Employment Relations. Suva, Nasinu, Fiji: Fiji National University
Nasinu Campus.
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19. Sagoa, I. (2013, February 6). Industrial Employment Relations in Australia. HRM 603:
Comparative Studies in Industrial Relations and Employment Relations. Suva, Nasinu,
Fiji: Fiji National University Nasinu Campus.
Sagoa, I. (2013, January 23). Introduction: An overview of Industrial or Employment
relation in global context. HRM 603: Comparative Studies in Industrial or Employment
Relations. Suva, Nasinu, Fiji: Fiji National University Nasinu Campus.
Schneider, T. J., & Stepp, J. P. (2006). The Evolution of U.S. Labor - Management Relations.
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WikiAnswers. (2013). What are the functions of a trade union. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from
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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_functions_of_a_trade_union
Wright, C. F. (2011, September). What role for trade unions in future workplace relations.
University of Cambridge.
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